On Monday, Ragnhild Haga herself confirmed that she will be removed from the Norwegian national team for the coming season.
The 29-year-old was both disappointed and critical of how the Norwegian union came to the decision.
- It is clear that it could happen.
But I actually did not think so this year.
Then I think I made good international results after I came back after my blood clot, Ragnhild Haga told NRK.
National team coach Ole Morten Iversen defends the decision.
He says that the Norwegian federation, after analyzes, has come to the conclusion that they want more sprinters to get balance in the squad.
Removed a distance skier
Due to financial conditions, the national team also picked out only eleven skiers and not twelve as Iversen wanted.
- This means that we had to remove a distance skier and it was Ragnhild.
She is of course disappointed and does not agree with our priorities.
But I still think she respects the selection and is motivated for next season.
That she has decided to prove that we did wrong, Iversen tells NRK.
He admits that Haga did a good last year's season and that she has the results required for a national team place.
- I would like to have her with me.
The results have undoubtedly been good enough.
But now we are in a situation where we have twelve names and one must be removed, he says and continues:
Length manager: Must think about the future
- It is on the sprint side we have to invest and that is why Ragnhild is not included.
We simply do not have enough places in the team.
Length manager Espen Bjervig emphasizes that the selection followed a thorough process.
- We must also think about the future.
This means that we sometimes have to prioritize younger skiers, perhaps prioritize distance or sprint, he says.